Grapples



ec. 17, 1957 R. s. ELBERTY GRAPPLES 3 Sheets-Sheet l Filed March l2, 1956 /mA ATTORNEYS Dec. 17, 1957 R. s. ELBERTY 2,816,793

GRAPPLES Filed March l2, 1956 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 BY Mm ATTORNEYS Dec. 17, 1957 R. s. ELBERTY 2,815,793

GRAPPLES Filed March 12, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 l Wh... Hhl f ATTORNEYS United States Patent GRAPPLES Robert S. Elberty, Southington, Conn., assigner to .lack Breslav, New Haven, Conn.

Application March 12, 1956, Serial No. 570,737

13 Claims. (Cl. 294-106) This invention relates to lifting tongs or grapples and more particularly to a device of this character adapted to be employed with a lifting mechanism to lift and transfer materials from one place to another. As illustrated in the present application, the invention is applied to lifting tongs for use in lifting coils, for example, although it will be understood that it is not limited to this particular application.

Grapples of this character are provided with gripping jaws which are carried by or connected to levers which serve as the operating members for the jaws. rlhe jaws are relatively movable so as to spread open to receive the article to be lifted and then closed upon the article to grip it, and the levers of the linkage system are so arranged that when a lifting pull is exerted upon them, the jaws will be moved to closed position.

ln the past it has usually been the custom to provide one of the jaws upon a member which rests upon the coil or other object which is gripped to be transferred from one place to another and, when the jaws are moved toward closed position, this member moves upon the article or material and in some instances damages it. It is desirable, therefore, that the mechanism be so constructed that the jaws will move relatively to the member which rests upon the coil s-o that this member may remain at rest when the jaws are closed and not move relatively to the coil.

Also it is sometimes desirable to grip both sides of a coil instead of gripping the coil at one side only. In such case the coil is lifted evenly by the grapple and the weight of the coil will be centralized with respect to the grapple and not have a tendency to tilt the latter to one side. In such an arrangement Where two pairs of jaws are provided, they should be centered with respect to the toggle links or lever system which operate them in their rest or open positions so that they may be readily lowered upon the coil in proper position to grip both sides of the latter.

In the present invention a member is provided which may be termed a rest plate which is adapted to rest upon a coil or other object to be lifted, and the gripping jaws are so arranged that they are movable relatively to this member so that the latter is not required to move upon the coil. Also the parts are so arranged that the two grapples are tied together in such a manner that in their rest or open positions they are in a centered position with respect to the rest plate and with respect to the toggle links or lever system by which they are operated.

Also it may be noted that either the inside or outside jaw of each of the grapples, where a pair of grapples is provided, may move independently of the other jaw. Also the outside jaw of one of the grapples may move while the inside jaw on the other may be the one which moves so that there will be complete independent movement of the jaws, but during any such movement the rest plate will remain stationary on the coil, the jaws moving independently of this plate. This is quite important where a double grapple or double gripping of the coil ice is provided, but is also desirable when a single grapple is provided as shown in some of the figures of the drawing.

One object of the present invention is to provide a lifting grapple or tongs designed to grip an object such as a coil to be transported from one place to another, which grapple will be of relatively simple construction and at the same time eflicient in use and satisfactory in operation.

A further object of the invention is to provide a lifting grapple or tongs of the character described wherein the grapple will be provided with a rest plate or like member designed to rest upon the coil or other object to be lifted, the jaws being movably connected to this member so that they may move independently thereof.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of a double grapple mechanism which will be provided with two pairs of cooperating jaws adapted to grip the two sides of a coil or the like wherein the two grapples are so interconnected that they will always be maintained in a centered position when the grapple is open.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a double grapple mechanism of the character described wherein the jaws are slidably connected to a rest plate or other member engaging the coil to be lifted, the arrangement being such that the jaws of each of the grapples may move independently of the rest plate, and the jaws of one grapple may move independently to some extent to those of the other so that they have freedom of movement not only with respect to the rest plate but in respect to the jaws of the other grapple whereby the mechanism may be lowered upon a coil or the like and grab both sides of the coil evenly notwithstanding the fact that the coil may not be exactly centered with respect to the grapple mechanism.

To these and other ends the invention consists in the novel features and combinations of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. l is .a side elevational view of a double grapple embodying my invention, the mechanism being shown with the jaws in open position when the grapple has been lowered upon a coil preparatory to lifting the same;

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the grapple mechanism;

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view thereof, the parts being in the position shown in Fig. l;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. l showing the position of the parts in lifting position when the jaws have been closed upon both sides of a coil;

Fig. 5 is a side elevational view of a single grapple embodying my improvements, the mechanism being shown when the grapple has been lowered upon a coil preparatory to lifting the same; .and

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5, showing the grapple in lifting position with the jaws closed upon the coil.

ln Figs. l to 4 of the drawings is illustrated a double grapple designed to grip both sides of a coil or like member, and as the structure of each of the two grapple units embraced in the device are alike, a description of one will suffice for both, the same reference characters being applied to parts of one grapple which are simiiar to those of the other.

Each of the grapple units, as illustrated, comprises a pair of bar members 10 and 11 of bell crank shape, these members having lower end portions 12 and 13 to which are secured the gripping jaws 14 and 15. The other arms 16 and 17 of these bars extend upwardly in an inclined direction and are connected at their upper ends to parts which will be hereinafter described.

The jaw members 14 are secured at one end of spaced plates 18, and these plates are provided with a plurality of pairs of openings 19 through which fastening members 20 may be passed to secure them to the end 12 of the bar 10. These fastening members will be slightly smaller than the openings through which they extend in order to provide some play between the jaw members and the bars upon which they are mounted in order to provide for the proper gripping of the work. With this arrangement the jaws may be adjusted with respect to the ends 12 of the bars by employing dierent ones of the pairs of openings 19.

In like manner each of the jaws is secured to the forward end of spaced plates 21 and these plates are provided with a number of openings 22 so that they may be adjusted with respect to the ends 13 of the bar members 11. It will be noted that while the grapple units are alike, they are reversed in position so that the correspond ing jaw members 15 are positioned at the center of the grapple while the corresponding jaw members 14 are at the outside.

Crossed levers 24 and 25 are pivoted at 26 and 27 respectively to the outer ends of the arms 17 which carry the jaw members 15. The lower end 2S of the lever 24 is pivoted at 29 to an intermediate portion of the arm 16 upon one of the units while the lower end 30 of the lever is pivoted at 31 to an intermediate point of the arm 16 of the other unit, the members 28 and 30 constituting links connecting the outer ends of the arm members 16 and 17.

A link 32 is pivoted at its upper end, as shown at 33, to each of the arm members 16 and pivoted at its lower end, as shown at 34, to an intermediate part of the arm members 17. It will be also noted that the arm members 16 and 17 cross each other so that they in eifect are positioned along the diagonals of a trapezoid, the vertices of which are the pivot points 26 and 29 at one side and 33 and 34 at the other side.

lt may here be noted that while the invention is not limited to such a structure, the levers 24 and 25 as well as the bars 10 and the links 32 consist of two parallel spaced members placed side by side while the bar members 11 are single structures disposed between the two spaced elements of the bars 10. The pivots 29 and 34 are formed by pivot pins which pass loosely through the members which they pivotally connect, and their ends extend slightly beyond these members for a purpose to be hereinafter explained.

Pivotally connected to the upper ends of the levers 24 and 25 are links 35 and 36, and the upper ends of these links are pivoted together at 37, at which point a lifting member or bail 38 is attached thereto for gripping by a hook or the like of a lifting mechanism such as a crane.

Pivoted at 37 to the links 35 and 36 is a locking member 39 to cooperate with the locking device 40 (Fig. l). As this locking device is not a part of the present invention, no further description is required.

A supporting member or rest plate is provided which connects the two grapple units. As shown more especially in Fig. 3, this unit comprises a pair of spaced angle members 42 and 43 connected together at their ends by spacing members 44. These two members are provided with elongated slots 45 and 46 (Figs. l and 3), and it will be noted that the pivot pins 29 and 31 are slidably mounted in the slots 45, while the pivot pins 34 are slidably mounted in the slots 46.

This rest plate connects the two grapple units together so that in their rest or hold-open position they are always in a centered position with respect to the plate and with respect to the toggle links as shown in Fig. l. The reference is here made to the links 35 and 36 which, together with the levers 25 and 24, form toggle members. It will be noted, however, that these pivots may move independently of each other so that the jaws of the two grapple units will always be permitted to properly adjust themselves to the coil or work to be lifted even though the 4 work may not be exactly centered with respect to the grapple.

As shown more particularly in Fig. 2, the jaw members 15 are of arcuate shape in cross section, their convex surfaces facing the cooperating jaws 14, so that these jaws will engage the inside of a coil. The jaws 14 are of angle shape, as shown, so as to present a concave surface toward the cooperating jaws 15 so that the jaws 14 may engage the outside of the coil. The shapes of the jaw members may, of course, be varied as desired. lt will be noted that in the position of Fig. l the pivot pins 29, 31 and 34 are at the extreme ends of the slots and 46 so that the parts are centered or symmetrically disposed with respect to the center of the rest plate and with respect to the toggle links. On the lower surface of the horizontal portion of the angle plates 42 and 43, a facing 47 of friction material, such as rubber, wood, or brake lining, may be provided to inhibit slipping of the rest plate on the work.

ln Fig. l of the drawing the device is shown in the position in which the parts would be when lowered upon a coil 48 shown in dotted lines in Figs. l and 4. It will be noted that in this case the coil is not quite centered with respect to the grapple but lies nearer the right-hand end than to the left-hand end. The jaws are in open position so that the jaws 15 will enter the opening through the coil to engage the interior wall thereof.

When a lifting force is applied to the clevis 38, the levers 24 and 25 will be drawn upwardly as shown in Fig. 4. This will move the jaws to the position shown in the latter gure. As is shown, the jaws 15 move outwardly so as to Contact the adjacent surfaces of the coil, while the jaws 14 move inwardly to contact the outer surface. This will be true notwithstanding the fact that the coil is not accurately centered and the jaws move unevenly. In other words, the left-hand jaw 15 will have moved outwardly a lesser distance than the right-hand jaw 15, and the left-hand jaw 14 will be moved inwardly a greater distance than the corresponding right-hand jaw. Also the left-hand jaw 14 will have moved through a greater distance than its cooperating jaw 15 so that each of the jaws is permitted independent movement to grip the coil. It may also be noted that the pivot pins 29, 31 and 34 have moved different distances within the slots 45 and 46 to permit the independent movement of the jaws.

Moreover, it may also be noted that the rest plate has not moved with respect to the coil, the jaws moving relatively to the rest plate so that there will be no danger of the coil being damaged during the gripping operation.

In Figs. 5 and 6 of the drawing I have shown a single grapple which operates upon the same principle as the double grapple previously described. As shown in these figures of the drawing a jaw member 50 is pivotally attached to the lower end 51 of a bar 52 while a cooperating jaw 53 is secured to a bar 54.

A lever 55 is pivoted to the end of the bar 54 at 56 while a bent end 57 of this lever is pivoted to an intermediate portion of the bar 52 by the pivot pin 58. Similarly a lever 59 is pivoted at 60 to the end of the bar 52, while the lower bent end 61 of this lever is pivoted to the bar 54 by the pivot pin 62.

The pivot pins 58 and 62 are extended at each end and the ends of these pins ride in slots 63 and 64 in a rest plate 65 formed similarly to the rest plate described in connection with Figs. l to 4. Links 66 and 67 are pivoted to the upper ends of the levers 55 and 59 respectively in order to operate the levers, the links being pivoted together at 68, at which point the clevis 69 is pivotally attached to them.

This structure is substantially like one of the units shown in Figs. 1 to 4 except that the link 32 of the latter has been replaced by one of the levers 55 or 59 in order that the grapple will b e evenly balanced. Considering, for example, the left-hand unit shown in Fig. 4, it will be apparent that the link 32 serves the same function as Vthe end 61 of the lever 59 so that this part 61 may be considered as a link connecting adjacent ends of the bar members, The jaws 50 and 53 will move independently of the rest plate 65 as the pivot pins 58 and 62 will slide in the slots 63 and 64 so that a coil, shown at 70, may be gripped without any part of the grapple being in moving engagement with the upper edge of the coil.

It may be noted that in this case the bars 52 and 54 form diagonals of a trapezoid defined by the pivots 56, 58, 60 and 62 as previously described in connection with the first form of the invention. Also, it will be seen that if the grappel is dropped upon the coil in a position in which the latter is not centered with respect to the rest plate, one of the jaws will be permitted a greater movement than the other so that there will be no movement of the plate.

While l have shown and described some preferred embodiments of my invention, it will be understood that it is not to be limited to all of the details shown, but is capable of modication and variation within the spirit of the invention and within the scope of the claims.

What I claim is:

l. A grapple structure comprising a pair of crossed bar members, a jaw member carried by each of said bar members, a lever pivoted at its lower end to an intermediate point on one of saidbar members and having an intermediate point thereon pivoted to an end of the other bar member, a link pivoted to the end of said one bar member and also pivoted to an intermediate point on the other bar member, a connecting member, said last-named pivot and said pivot between the end of the lever and said one bar member being slidably connected to the connecting member for limited sliding movement of said bar members longitudinally of the connecting member, and

means to operate said lever to eieet closing movements of the jaw members.

2. A grapple structure comprising a pair of crossed bar members, a jaw member carried by each of said bar members, a lever pivoted at its lower end to an intermediate point on one of said bar members and having an intermediate point thereon pivoted to an end of the other bar member, a link pivoted to the end of said one bar member and also pivoted to an intermediate point on the other bar member, and a rest plate to which said intermediate points on said bar members are slidably connected for limiting sliding movement of said bar members in a direction longitudinally of the rest plate and relatively thereto, said rest plate supporting the grapple upon the work, and means to operate said lever to eiect closing movements of the jaw members.

3. A grapple structure comprising a pair of crossed bar members, a jaw member carried by each of said bar members, a lever pivoted at its lower end to an intermediate point on one of said bar members and having an intermediate point thereon pivoted to an end of the other bar member, a link pivoted to the end of said one bar member and also pivoted to an intermediate point on the other bar member, and a rest plate to which said bar members are slidably connected, said rest plate having slots therein elongated in the direction of movement of the jaw members, and means on said bar members, and intermediate the ends thereof, slidably received in said slots.

4. A grapple comprising a pair of grapple units, each unit comprising crossed bar members, each bar member having a jaw element carried thereby, a lever pivoted at an intermediate point to the end of one of the bar members of each unit and pivoted at its lower end to an intermediate part of the other bar member of such unit and a link pivoted at one end to an intermediate point on one of said bar members and at the other end to the end of the other bar member, said levers extending upwardly from their pivot points and crossing each other, lifting means connected to the upper ends of said levers,

'and a support member to which the bar members of one unit are movably connected for limited sliding movement relatively to the support member to hold them in a central position with respect to said levers.

5. A grapple comprising a pair of grapple units, each unit comprising crossed bar members, each bar member having a jaw element carried thereby, a lever pivoted at an intermediate point to the end of one of the bar members of each unit and pivoted at its lower end to an intermediate part of the other bar member of such unit and a link pivoted at one end to an intermediate point on one of said bar members and at the other end to the end of the other bar member, said levers extending upwardly from their pivot points and crossing each other, lifting means connected to the upper ends of said levers, a support member to which an intermediate part of each of the bar members of each of the units is connected to centralize the units with respect to said levers, said bar members being slidably connected to the support member for limited relative sliding movement longitudinally of the supporting members.

6. A grapple comprising a pair of grapple units, each unit comprising crossed bar members, each bar member having a jaw element carried thereby, a lever pivoted at an intermediate point to the end of one of the bar members of each unit and pivoted at its lower end to an intermediate part of the other bar member of such unit and a link pivoted at one end to an intermediate point on one of said bar members and at the other end to the end of the other bar member, means connected to said levers to actuate the same and an element connected to the bar members of both units holding them in a centered position, said element comprising an elongated member having slots therein, and means on the intermediate portions of the bar members slidably received in said slots.

7. A grapple comprising a pair of grapple units, each unit comprising crossed bar members, each bar member having a jaw element carried thereby, a lever pivoted at an intermediate point to the end of one of the bar members of each unit and pivoted at its lower end to an intermediate part of the other bar member of such unit and a link pivoted at one end to an intermediate point on one of said bar members and at the other end to the end of the other bar member, means connected to said levers to actuate the same and an element connected to the bar members of both units holding them in a centered position, said element comprising an elongated member having slots therein and members on intermediate portions of the bar members slidably engaged in said slots, said element comprising a rest plate adapted to support the grapple upon a coil or the like.

8. A grapple comprising a pair of grapple units, each unit comprising crossed bar members, each bar member having a jaw element carried thereby, a lever pivoted at an intermediate point to the end of one of the bar members of each unit and pivoted at its lower end to an intermediate part of the other bar member of such unit and a link pivoted at one end to an intermediate point on one of said bar members and at the other end to the end of the other bar member, means connected to said levers to actuate the same and an element connected to the bar members of both units holding them in a centered position, said element comprising an elongated member having slots therein elongated longitudinally of the element and members on intermediate portions of the bar members slidably engaged in said slots, and said lastnamed members on the bar members constituting pivot pins which pivot the lower ends of the levers and links thereto.

9. A grapple structure comprising a pair of crossed bar members, a jaw member carried by each of said bar members, a link pivotally connecting one end of each of said bar members to an intermediate point on the other bar member, the arrangement being such that s aid pivot points form the vertices of a trapezoid of which the bar members are diagonals, a member connected to one of said links to actuate the jaws,A a rest plate having spaced slots therein elongated in the direction of movement of the jaws, said links being generally vertically disposed, and the lower pivots of the links with the bar members being constituted by pivot pins slidably received in said slots.

10. A grapple comprising a pair of grapple units, each unit comprising crossed bar members, each having a jaw element carried thereby and links each having its lower end pivoted to an intermediate point on one of said bar members and its upper end pivoted to the adjacent end of said other bar member, a lever rigidly connected to one of said links and adapted to actuate the bar members to close the jaws carried thereby, and a rest plate connected to the jaw members of both of said units, said rest plate having slots therein, elongated in a direction longitudinally of the rest plate, and pivot pins carried by the jaw members and received in said slots, said pivot pins constituting the pivot points of the lower ends of said links with said jaw members.

l1. A load-lifting grapple comprising an elongated rest plate adapted to rest upon the load to be lifted, a pair of jaw-supporting elements, jaw members carried by said elements and depending below the rest plate, pivot pins pivoting said elements to the rest plate, and means securing said pivot pins to the rest plate for movement therealong in a direction longitudinally of the rest plate whereby said jaws may pivot upon the rest plate for limited movement with respect thereto in a direction longitudinally thereof, and means for effecting movements of the jaw-supporting elements toward each other to close said jaws.

l2, A load-lifting grapple comprising an elongated rest plate adapted to rest upon the load to be lifted, a pair of jaw-supporting elements, jaw members carried by said elements and depending below the rest plate, and means connecting said jaw elements to the rest plate for pivotal movements with respect thereto and for limited sliding movements therealong whereby the jaws may close without movement of the rest plate, said last-named means comprising a pin and slot connection between each of the jaw-supporting elements and the rest plate, the slots extending in a direction longitudinally of the latter, and means for effecting movements of the jaws longitudinally of the rest plate.

13. A load-lifting ygrapple comprising an elongated Vrest plate adapted to rest upon the load to be lifted, a

pair of jaw-supporting elements, jaw members carried by said elements and depending below the rest plate, and means connecting said jaw elements to the rest plate for pivotal movements with respect thereto and for limited sliding movements therealong whereby the jaws may close without movement of the rest plate, said means comprising a pivotpin upon each of the jaw-supporting elements, and spaced slots in the rest plate elongated longitudinally thereof in which said pins are movably received, and levers connected to said jaw-supporting elements to effect closing movement of the jaws.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,352,017 Scharpenberg et al June 20, 1944 2,536,932 Heppenstall Jan. 2, 1951 2,675,261 Egge Apr. 13, 1954 

